Stairway



June 3 1924.

' E. BEssLER STA I RWAY Filed Jan. 17. 1923 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Z f z l l Ma lV/ M `lune 3 1924.-

F. E. BESSLER STAIHWAY Filed Jan. 17 1925 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Patented June 3, 1924.

UNITED STATES FRANK E. BESSLER, OF AKRON, OHIO.

STAIRWAY.

Application led'January 17, 1923.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it kno-wn that I, FRANK E. Bassum, a citizen of the United States, residing at Akron, in the county of Summit and State of 0h10, have invented a new and useful Stairway, of which the following is a speci tication.

The device forming the subject matter of this application is of that general sort in which a stairwa is slidably mounted upon a panel, the pane being hinged to a ceiling, and the construction being such that the panel may be swung upwardly, and the stairway slid b-ackwardly, thereby to dispose the stairway in an out-of-the-way po sition, at the will of an operator.

The invention aims to provide novel means whereby the device may be mounted on ceiling frames of dill'erent heights, to provide novel means for anchoring the cables, t0 provide novel means for operating the panel and the stairway, and, generally, to improve and to enhance the utility of devices of that type to which the invention ap ertains.

ith the above and other objects in view, which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention resides in the combination and arrangement of parts and in the details of construction hereinafter described and claimed, it being understood that, within the scope of what is claimed, changes in the precise embodiment of the invention shown can be made without departing from the spirit of the invention.

Figure 1 shows in elevation, a device constructed in accordance with the invention, the panel being lowered, and the stairway being slid downwardly on the panel; Figure 2 is a fragmental transverse section taken through the supporting frame, through one of the stiles of the stairway and through attendant parts; Figure 3 is a horizontal section taken through the structure shown in Figure 2; Figure 4.- is a section of the structure shown in Figure 2; Figure 5 is a section on the line 5-5 of Figure 4, one of the stiles of the stairway appearing as an added detail; Figure 6 is a fragmental vertical section taken through the upper portion of the stairway and attendant parts; Figure 7 is a sectional view wherein most arts `appear in plan, the view depicting t c panel, the frame and parts at the upper end of the panel; Figure 8 is a ver- Serial No. 613,272.

tical section taken through the panel and attendant parts at a point adjacent to the lower end of the panel; Figure 9 is a perspective view disclosing the anchor which is mounted on the stile of the stairway; Figure 10 is a sectional view depicting the spring-actuated drum; Figure 11 is a side elevation of the drum, parts being broken away.

The numeral 1 designates what for convenience may be denominated a frame, the numeral 2 designating the ceilin of a room, and the numeral 3 designating tg room thereabove, joists 5 being interposed between the ceiling and the floor and cooperating with the end portions of the frame 1, the ceiling 2 carrying a finishing strip 4 for the frame 1, the frame having an internal stop bead 6.

Hinges 7 are provided and carry the upper end of a vertically swinging panel 16 hereinafter alluded to. Each hinge 7 embodies a main plate 8 provided Yalong its vertical edges with overhanging guides 9, the plate 8 being attached by seeurin elements 10 to one end of the frame 1. ach hinge 7 embodies an auxiliary plate 11 which, as shown in Figure 4 is provided at one end with an inner flange 12, the flange 12 being pivoted at 14 to the lower end of the main plate 8. Each hinge plate 11 has an outer flange 15 provided with an opening 18, the flanges 12 and 15 projectin in opposite directions. The auxiliary p ates 11 of the hinges 7 extend along the upper surface of the panel 16 and are attached thereto by securing elements 17, as shown in Fi ure 7. The upper end of the panel 16 a uts against the flange 12 of the plate 11, as shown in Figure 4. At its free end, the panel 16 is supp-lied with a latch 19, adapted to engage withthe stop bead 6 or `with a keeper of any other sort, when the panel 16 is swung upwardly, the latch 19 being under the control of a depending flexible element 20. l

The numeral 21 marks a support in the form of a plate. the support being vertically slidable upon the main late 8 of each hinge, behind the rides 9, t e support v21 being supplied at its upper end with a rearwardly extended lip 22 overhanging the upper edge of the frame 1 and held thereon by securing devices 23. The support 21, it Iwill be obe floor of a served, prevents the securing elements 10 from working their way out of the main lll plate 8. The support 21 carries man v imn portant 'ivorlgirigpgarts irof the device. Vas hereirafter described, arid sihcefthe support 21 is vertically adjustable on the mai-n yplate 8, the littings shown in Figure 2 may be adapted readily to the frames 1 having different heights.

The support 21 carries a forwardly cxtended bracket 24. socket member 25 rejects from the support and is disposed :parallel to the bracket. yThe lower end of a post 26 is secured 'at Y27 Vin each socket 25. 'lAshfrft 28 is mounted in the socket member 25 Aand in the Vbracket 24. A `Wheel 29 is 'ounaled on the shaft '28 and Vis located i L tiveen the bracket 24 and the socket memher-E25. n erin BO'is mounted to swing on rtlfieshadt 28 and is located between the xvheel 29 and the socket member 25. The arm '30 thais an Y"n'ivvardly.eiet'ended' Vstoi flange 31, iand :is prdvided with an inwr ly extended bott'oiiitlahge t12.ft he flange 32 carrying an opstanding ivirig :33.

""isishonninrlifigures and 1, standards 34 are mounted on the panel 16 adjacent to the l"lower end ilie "ariel, and are spaced apart Vtransversely Eotitil'ie The upper ends of the standards `33 are :supplied with inwardly extended projections 35, which may V'be rollers. Struts 36 are mounted on the panel 16,*hetween the up erand lower ends oi the anel. Truss ro s 37 are supplied. The loiver ends ofthe truss rods are connectedtothestandards 34, the truss rods coiictin'g with the struts 36. The upper ends of the truss rods 37 extend through the openings `lBfin the flanges 15 of the hinge plates 11. Adjusting nuts 38 are mounted onthe Atruss rods 37 and cooperate With the danges 15, in a way .which 'yvill be under- V stood readily Vivheniigure"6 ofthe drawings V`is examined. The truss rods, of course act 'askreilrforeernents for'the panel 16.

Vshaft 39 is carried by the standards 34, the shaft being of sufficient length sothat the standards may be spaced apart at difterfent distances. depending on the width of the anel l16. Bushings/40 are mounted on the shaft 39. The Aouter ends of the bushings engage the standards 34. Retainers 41 are rniou'nted in the shaft 39 and engage the innei celndsof the .bushings 40, to hold them in place.: Wheels 42 are journaled on the bushings 140, the bushinghaving flanges 58, and the Livhee'ls 42 being disposed between the tlangesand the standards 34. The Wheels j"4.2 are supaliedfyvithloutdtanding eriplie-ral llanges43f `Pi1llegs44 are journaled o n the shaft 39 and `are located outwardly of the V 'Y diners 45, such as Cotter ated` in 'the 4shaft 39, out- 6 "Q .eSlgIietes generally, a .f 'StlS 47 'eed treads 48,

'radin ne@ n thereof. Posts are Tnufitelfon the stair- Way 46 adjacent to the lower end thereof. The post 26 carries a socket 51. There is a socket 52 on the post 49. The post 50 has a socket A hand rail 54 is located in the sockets 51, 52 and The hand rail 54 is provided with a stop which cooperating with the socket 51. limits the downward movement of the hand rail. The hand rail is supplied with a stop 56 which, cooperating with the socket 53, limits the upward movement of the hand rail. Intermediate its ends, the hand rail 54 carries a projection 60. The operation of the hanil rail need not be described in detail, because the hand rail is shown in several of myprior patents. Let it suilice to say, however, that when the stairway 46 iis 'slid upwardly 'on the panel 16.y theA hand rail54 slides upwardly With the stairway through Vthe socket "51 on the post 26 at the upper end of the stairway.

The Stiles 47 of the stairway 46 are provided on their o'uter surfaces with longitudinal grooves 57. The st-iles 47 of the stairway ride on the Wheels 42 and are held thereon bv the dan es 43 of the Wheels as shown in Figure 8, t e projections 35 on the standards 34 beingrreceived in the grooves 5T which are formed'in the stiles 47 of the stairway. The stiles of the stairway resi at their upper ends on the Wl'ieelsfl as shown in Figure 6. The upper langesll of the arms 30 are engaged in the ,grooves '57 ot' the Stiles 47 ot' the, stairwayv as shown in'Fig ure the bottom flanges ot the arms extending' beneath the Stiles. and the wings Y3? c.\tendinf ;v lipivardhY along the Stiles.

Anchors 61, in the forno of plates. are sccured to the outer surfaces ot the Stiles 47 adjacent to the lower end of the stairway 46. A means for securing the anchors to the stiles is designated by the numeral 62. In one end ot each .anchor 61 a. notch or seat 64 is fashioned. the notch or seat being'alined with the groove 57 in the stile 47. An opening 65 is formed in the anchor 6l. andthe material freed inthe formation of this opening is extended inwardly to 'torni a tongue V66 which, fitting in the groove 57, aids in supporting the anchorl on the stile. An openingr 68 is formed in the anchor Y61,:al'id the material treed in the formation of this openingr is bent ol/lt'wardly to form 'anua'rm 69 having a notch 70. Then 'the notch 701s formed, the material freed from the `arm H9 remains attached to the anchor 661 and is extended outivaitllvY to fashion a supportll'l.

Flexible elements 742 are provided. Intermediatertheir ends, the flexible Aelle;1 1 g i1i' ts 72 are Wrapped about the pullys 44, shown at 73 in Ei'gure 8, the flexible eisernen@ being eiztended downwardly along the Stille! Vlou liso

47 of the stairway 46, the flexible elements being received in the notches 7() which are formed in the arms 69 of the anchors 61, the flexible elements passing across the outer ends of the supports 71, the flexible elements being received in the seat 64, and having knots or other enlargements which are received in the grooves 57 formed in the stiles 47 of the stairway 46. The parts 71 support the flexible elements 22 between the notches 70 and seats 64.

Bearing brackets 74 are mounted on the frame 1 and are shaped as at 75 to coact with the corner of the frame. The brackets 74 include standards 76 having bearing notches 77. The standards 76 are supplied with longitudinal lugs 78 having longitudinal grooves 79 communicating with transverse grooves 80 in the lugs. Shafts 85 are journaled in the bearing notches 77 of the standards 76. Cranks 81 are adjustable in the direction of their length, in the shafts 85 transversely of the shafts, the cranks 81 being supplied at their lower ends with projections 82. Drums 83 are mounted on the shafts 85. Peripheral springs 84 are located within the drums 83, the inner ends of the springs 84 being connected to the shafts 85. and the outer ends of the springs being connected to the drums 83. The upper ends of the flexible elements 72 are engaged with the drums 83. Ordinarily, the cranks 81 are engaged in the longitudinal grooves 79, the

rejections 82 of the cranks being received 1n the transverse grooves 80, the shafts 85 thus being held against rotation, and the springs 84 being so positioned that they will. react upon the drums 83. lVhen it is desired to adjust the tension in the springs S4, this may be done by rotating the cranks 81 until the projections 82 are disengaged from the transverse grooves 80, the cranks 81 being slid endwise, out of the longitudinal grooves 79, whereupon, by a proper manipulation of the cranks, rotation may be imparted to the shafts 85, thereby to adjust the tension in the springs 84, as aforesaid.

The general operation of devices of the kind hereinbefore described is well known and may be dismissed briefly, it being clear that the stairway 46 may be slid upwardly on the panel 16, the panel 16 being swung upwardly to a closed position, the flexible elements 72, responding to the action of the springs 84 in the drums 83 and aiding in the manipulation of the stairway.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed is 1. In a device of the class described, u frame; a hinge plate secured to the frame and having guides; a panel; means for connecting the hinge plate to the panel; a support adjustable in the guides and provided with a 'fla nge engaging the upper edge of the frame: a roller carried by the support; a stairway slidable on the roller; and means for supporting the stairway slidably on the panel.

2. ln a device of the class described, a frame: a hinge plate secured to the frame and having guides; a panel; means for connecting the hinge plate to the panel; a support adjustable in the guides and having a flange engaging the upper edge of the frame; a roller journaled on the support', an arm mounted on the support: a stairway slidable on the roller and having a groove wherein a portion of the arm is slidably received; and means for supporting the stairway slidably en the panel.

In a device of the class described, a frame; a hinge plate secured to the frame and having guides; a panel; means for connecting the hinge plate to the panel; a support adjustable in the guides and having a flange engaging the upper edge of the frame; a roller journaled on the support; a socket carried by the support; a post engaged in the socket; a stairway slidable on the roller: means for supporting the stairway slidably on the panel; and a hand rail carried by the stairway and mounted slidably on the post.

4. In a device of the class described, a frame: a panel hinged to the frame; a stairway slidable on the panel and provided with a groove; means carried by the panel and engaged in the groove for guiding the stairway on the panel; an anchor on the stairway and provided in one end with a seat alined with the groove, the anchor being provided intermediate its ends with an arm having a notch; a flexible element engaged in the seat and in the notch; means on the panel for guiding the intermediate portion of the flexible element; and lifting means assembled with the upper end of the flexible element.

A device of the class described, constructed as set forth in claim 4 and further characterized by the fact that the anchor is supplied with an inwardly projecting tongue received in the groove, the arm beinv struck from the anchor and the materiaal freed in the formation of the notch in the arm remaining attached to the anchor to form a support, located between the seat and the notch in the arm.'

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto ailiXed my signature in the presence of two Witnesses.

FRANK E. BESSLER.

W'itnesses:

RUTH N. VOLK, O. J. SWINEHART. 

